A Sister is Both Your Mirror - and Your Opposite
by ClimbingUpTheWalls
Summary: Glimmer was a terrible Career, an even worse archer and after a mistake, her and Katniss are going into the arena as allies. Eventual Catoniss & Glarvel
1. Glimmer: Prologue

_Glimmer_

It's a bit of a tradition here in the Capitol that the Career tributes have breakfast together on the first day of training. Personally I think it is a silly tradition, considering we'll be slaughtering each other in just over a week. We have no choice though, it's clear in the expressions of many of their faces.

Still, I have very little say in this as the Avox pours more water into my cup and a plate of toast and fresh fruit is set in front of me. I eye it for a moment before slowly taking small bites. I need enough to make it through training today but not enough that I become ill. That's the last thing I need right now.

Our mentors have decided not to eat with us, instead choosing to have breakfast after we leave for the day. Now they sit in the living room and speak softly. Personally, I think this is the time they take to place their bets and make wagers on which of us will win.

I wonder if my name ever comes up?

Glimmer, pretty airheaded Glimmer who survives solely on her looks. Not that my own mentor can judge me.

Cashmere won on a technicality her year, selected by a mob of sponsors who choose her over the ugly and scar covered tributes that plagued her arena. The same might be said about her brother, though he is not joining her as a mentor this year. The Victor from last year is learning the trade of mentoring for the 74th annual Hunger Games.

His name is Marvel, winning last year by spearing his last opponent straight through the heart.

The District Two mentors are also mixed up this year. You see, usually it's Enobaria and Brutus, District Two's more popular Victors. However, they've decided to take this year off and let an older Victor, Lyme, do the job. Along with her is the Victor of the 72nd Hunger Games, Cato. He, like Marvel, won the games in a violent and grotesque way. His last kill was drawn out and bloody, before finally ending it in a violent- and literally gut wrenching- finale.

I show no outside reaction to these things, but on the inside my stomach churns.

Enough that I stop eating and instead sip my water quietly.

District Four is a curious case, to me anyway.

There's Finnick Odair, the sex symbol of the Capitol who lounges on the couch with his legs kicked up and his throat exposed as he keeps his head tilted back. Sometimes I think I see bite marks but I'm not entirely sure. Sitting in a Capitol bar like that? He'd have all the sponsors he wanted. Just as well to, considering his fellow mentor is a raving old one who won her games, like, a hundred years ago.

Realizing I am abnormally quiet amongst my allies, I quickly throw my two cents in on who we should kill first.

There is a sudden clarity in this though, one that's always been there but is finally revealing itself fully to me. Which one of them will be the first to realize they don't need the blonde with them? Which of them will become trigger friendly and kill me because they can? It is the Hunger Games after all.

Would it be my own District Partner, Ammolite?

More than likely one of the District Two Careers; Clove or Mace.

Or maybe District Four might just pull it off. The quiet girl or the scrawny boy beside her. They say District Four won't be a Career District much longer. I believe it.

We finish up our breakfast before leaving for the Training Center.

It's watching the backs of the Careers walk away that for the first time in a long time, I drop my fake smile and wonder what it would be like _not _to be a Career myself.

And maybe, just maybe, I begin to pull away from them.

I never really was a Career was I?


	2. Katniss: Prologue

_Katniss_

I'm alone in the knot tying station, on occasion though, I feel the eyes of Peeta on me. Sometimes little Rue also watches me. It's not too hard to tell which one it is, whoever looks away the quickest when I glance up.

I'm tempted to usher Rue over a few times, teach her something about knots or which plants are edible and which will kill you in a second. It's tempting enough that a few times, I feel my fingers twitch and my arm shake as I halt it from making the gesture. I know the moment I speak to her I won't be able to contemplate her in the arena, that I'll do anything to save her. That is the moment I lose my chance of going back to Prim and the moment my fate is sealed.

I watch the others, but most of the Tributes are sticking to the survival stations while the Careers hog the weapons. Again I feel temptation, wanting to venture out and shoot with one of the bows, perhaps sample the knife selection.

I can hear Haymitch's speech in my head though, urging me to keep any talent I have a secret.

I know he is right, but what I would give to have the room to myself for just a moment!

Anyway, the District Seven girl shyly takes a seat opposite of me and begins her lesson on knots. Her fingers are clumsy and she continues to mess up her work, frustrating the instructor and myself. Wordlessly, I excuse myself to the camouflage station.

For a moment I believe there is a log covering Peeta's arm, it's only when I'm closer that I realize it is paint. Mystified and before I think, I ask him how he does it.

"I do the icing. For the cakes in the bakery."

"Hmm."

I pick up a brush and begin to draw small patterns on my arms, though they are nowhere near the level Peeta is. Not even close, as a matter of fact.

He smiles at me, dipping his brush in water and ridding it of the paint it once carried, he then moves closer to me and gets the same color I was using, applying it to my arm and putting a fresh coat over my pitiful attempt at camouflage.

He scribbles a bit, and suddenly my arm is obscured by blades of grass.

"That's amazing Peeta."

He shrug, suddenly modest.

"It's not so hard."

I shake my head, still impressed by his work. "What are you talking about? This," I hold my arm up, "is incredible."

"You think?" He asks slowly.

I nod in earnest.

He smiles.

I smile.

And it's all too friendly for me.

Do I really need a reminder (besides being in the Capitol) that I will have to kill this boy soon?

Suddenly my smile is gone and I turn, once again without a proper reason.

I find the closest bathroom before plunging my arm beneath the faucet, allowing the water to turn green as the paint swirls down the drain and disappears completely.


	3. Glimmer: Lie

_Glimmer_

The boys, and Clove, are determine to parade their strength to the rest of the tributes. I stick to the archery station though, trying to perfect my aim on the dummies that are further here than they are back home.

The trainer tries to help me but I quickly shoo him away. I've been doing this most of my life. I really don't need him telling me what to do.

Still, it's almost painful how frustrating this becomes as my arrows wobble and then fall short of where I want them to go.

The bows aren't too different from what I've been trained with, certainly less decorative. My favorite had been a pink layered one with green vines crawling up the arch and lavender flowers sprouting up in different areas. For such a beautiful area, the Capitol knows nothing of decor. Then again, just about everything fashion and current trend comes from One. What could they possibly do without us?

A smile twitches on my lips as I raise the bow.

_Pull. Release. Fail. _

Any trace of humor falls from me then as I stomp my foot and let out a groan.

This is ridiculous!

I'm Glimmer, the Career tribute from District One. I'm beautiful, I'm terrifying, I'm sexy.

The chances of me winning these games go up every time Mace throws himself into a fight with no technique or Ammolite gets too cocky (it's his greatest weakness.)

I take another deep breath, glare at the instructor who attempts to make his way over, and then raise the bow once more.

_Pull. Release. Fail._

I frown at my arrow, lodged into the ground at the feet of the target. Then I quickly wipe away my frown. My mother would smack me if she saw me frowning in the Capitol. Or she would have killed me for missing the target so many times. I spare my mother a moment of thought. The ring that sits in my room with the cute little poisoned dagger beneath a gorgeous gemstone. My backup, she said, my default plan.

I miss my father…

I drop the bow, tired of using the damn thing.

It's useless to me.

Out the corner of my eye, I fear I see Clove smirking.

Her. She'll be the one to kill me. She probably called dibs by now. I doubt Ammolite or Mace put up much of a fight. Or the District Four tributes who probably fear the same things I do.

The academy taught us to flirt with the Career boys. Made you seem desirable to the Capitol, made the Career protect you. Even if it was for a little while.

I'm pretty sure Ammolite and I are related. Distant, far off cousins.

Mace is handsome but he is all muscle and no brain. It might work for a while but at some point he would panic and kill me.

The District Four boy, whose name I don't bother to learn, will last a minute (tops) in the bloodbath.

Glimmer. Is. So. Screwed.

Yes, yes she is.

I walk away as gracefully as possible, heading to the bathroom to re-braid my hair, hoping this will relax me enough to shoot a bow.

I push through the doors and almost laugh as the girl from District Ten waits until I make it to the sinks before shooting out of the room without a second glance.

And it leaves me alone with Twelve who scrubs furiously at her arm.

I pull my braids out, determined to ignore scum from Twelve. Honestly though, she isn't that ugly. Not like the previous girls who went to the Hunger Games from Twelve, with eyes to close together or noses that were pushed into their faces.

I expect her to finish soon with the constant washing, but I'm done with both braids and there is no sign of ending on her part.

"Trying to get rid of the coal grime Twelve? They have something called a shower here in the Capitol." I put on my sweetest smile, one my mother would praise, and meet Twelve head on.

Her lips curl and her nose scrunches up as she twists her head and seethes at me. Maybe it won't be Clove, maybe this one has tricks up her sleeves.

"Well One, why don't you learn how to shoot a bow in that academy of yours?"

My eyes widen and my mouth falls open as I try to find a retort. She spots this and laughs. "Don't think too hard. It's a fire hazard."

"And you would know!" I yell, aware of how pitiful my comeback is.

I remedy it by lunging at her.

I'm aware that I'm not supposed to fight with the other tributes. What I'm doing is illegal. Honestly though, I just don't care at this point. I'm a dead woman walking, why not go a little crazy?

I'm screeching, throwing punches at her and satisfied whenever my fist digs into her flesh, be it her face or stomach or chest. I scratch her neck, digging my nails in and pleased to see them coated in blood.

She rolls and I don't even think about the fact that I'm on the ground of a bathroom as she sits on top of me, slamming her own fist across my face. Over and over and I know there will be bruises.

Her hands encircle my neck and I begin to buck furiously, trying to get some leverage on her. She grips harder, bringing my head up and slamming it back down. By the time the Peacekeepers arrive, black dots dance in my vision and I can hardly move.

Somebody grabs my arm, I moan when they drag me to my feet. There's so much yelling and so much manhandling that I can barely keep my head up.

I stumble around as they drag me out. I don't know where Twelve is, something tells me she is nearby as the group of Peacekeepers drag us through the stations, past the mystified tributes who watch us curiously.

We're dragged through another door and into a quiet room where the air blows lightly and there is little noise but the occasional laugh. It does not reek of sweat and fear but of lilac and a hint of cinnamon.

I'm thrown to the ground, as is Twelve who struggles to stand up but is forced back to the ground by one of the Peacekeepers.

When I finally catch my breath and look up I am met by the disapproving face of Seneca Crane.

There are a few men behind him, but they appear too drunk to care what we're doing here.

"What's the meaning of this?" Crane asks, his own voice slurred by the alcohol.

"We caught these two fighting sir."

"Fighting?"

"Yes sir."

His eyes dart to us, going back and forth as he looks on, no longer disapproving but rather bored and unamused.

"Fighting." He repeats in a slower voice, his hands are clasped and he rests his chin on both thumbs, eyeing both Twelve and I.

"What were you fighting about girls?"

He continues to look back and forth between us, awaiting a response from either one of us. I almost jump on this, searching for any answer that would make sense. Can I say she attacked me first? Would they see through that lie?

Something tells me yes, he would see through any lie that I uttered.

His patience is growing thin, I see the anger uncurling in his eyes. He must know the trouble it would be to get two new tributes and bring them all the way to the Capitol. His eyes fall on Twelve, the most promising thing to come from her district in decades. Such a shame it will be to get rid of her, he must ponder.

I think quickly, trying to find the correct answer to this.

"I- I," her eyes flash to me. It's the fear in them, the absolute terror that grows when she must realize I'm selling her out. "You see Mr. Crane… Twelve-"

"Katniss." She snaps, the terror still present in her face but not in her eyes.

"Katniss and I we were… we were…. Practicing." I say pitifully.

"Oh?" Crane asks, not at all convinced or swayed.

I quickly look over to Twelve, to Katniss, and hope she knows how to get us out of this.

I'm too pretty to be an Avox.

She nods slowly, "One said she knew how to wrestle… I didn't believe her." As an afterthought she throws in, "purely sport. No maliciousness behind any of it."

I nod quickly to back this up, then I look to her, "Glimmer. My name is Glimmer by the way."

Again, her nose scrunches with what I assume is disgust. I take a sniff of the room but find nothing that warrants such a look.

"That's not good enough girls, Atala clearly said that there was to be no fighting." His face grows darker and I know this is it. The Peacekeepers that stand behind us will grab us and drag us away and then they'll cut out our tongues and torture us and destroy us… Oh God.

I can't breathe, speak, or think.

Why did I go after her? Why did I do something so stupid?

I've always been stupid though, that's how I got here in the first place.

Before I think it through, before I ponder of the consequences, I'm throwing myself forward and yelling the first thing that comes to mind.

"It was a surprise! It was supposed to be a surprise! We were arguing about the conditions of alliance!" I screech, keeping my head low and not daring to look anybody in the face. When I realize what I've said, I go on. "She said I was useless, wanted to know if I could actually fight hand to hand so I showed her. In the excitement… in the spur of the moment I got carried away…. I'm sorry."

It's so quiet in here. So quiet that I actually hold my breath.

The Peacekeepers do not seize me though, and I think this must be a good sign.

One minute. Two. Three. Finally I take a chanced and peek at Katniss.

Her face is a mixture of emotion, namely there is still the terror. Now there is also anger and when she looks at me and I dare to think there are some signs of wonderment.

She doesn't want this. I don't want this.

We both agree we need it though.

And slowly, together, we turn to Crane.

I can't read his face as I can with others. It's swiped clean of any and all emotion, even his eyes look on blankly as Katniss's and my future hang on a thin string.

And finally, when I feel I can take no more, he finally speaks.

"An alliance? Between District One and Twelve… It's never been done before."

"In your Games, Mr. Crane. It would be legendary." I say softly, hoping to squash and qualms he may hold.

"They would never see it coming." Katniss says beside me.

Another moment goes by and suddenly Crane is laughing. Giggling. We're handing him one of the biggest twists of this year's games. We're giving him his position of Head Gamemaker for the rest of his life, until he's good and ready to retire, we've handed it over to him in a neatly wrapped present.

Suddenly, he's waving us off and still giggling.

"I look forward to the show ladies, though, do refrain from too much practice tell than, won't you?"

I nod, I can only assume Katniss does as well. We turn and are escorted out of the room, both of us in a hurry to leave and letting out our held breath as we break back into the training room.

It's empty and it's not until I look up at the wall that I realize it's because it's lunch time.

Standing in the relatively empty room (there are a few trainers but they are far from earshot) I decide to establish a few things with this girl.

"This is all your fault!"

"My fault? You attacked me, _you _said we were allies."

"It's a good idea, better that than Avoxes."

To this she sighs and actually seems to concede to.

"Look," I relent just a bit, "let's just have lunch together and discuss this. Alright?"

She continues to watch me with pure hatred and just as I regret not giving her up to Crane, she finally gives in and begins making her way towards the cafeteria.


	4. Katniss: Reluctance

_Katniss_

Glimmer and I walk into the cafeteria, which to point was fairly silent, the only noise came from the Careers. However with our entrance, they too suddenly stopped with their gloating. Everybody had seen the spectacle we'd made when we'd been dragged out of the bathrooms.

Suddenly self-conscious, I make my way to the food line without a word.

It takes her a minute, but suddenly Glimmer's behind me. Together we load our trays with food and make our way to the empty table.

I began to eat quietly, my eyes slowly moving over to Peeta who watches us curiously. At least he's curious unlike the Careers who stare at us with a morbid fascination. Although the District Two boy isn't so much as fascinated as he is ready to jump across the room and kill me right here.

However, eventually he stops with the constant glaring and resumes bragging about himself to the others. Either way the message is clear, Glimmer is no longer welcome to them.

Somehow, I know this means she will want me as an ally now. I doubt she is willing to go into the arena alone.

I begin to eat my food without much thought, this makes me feel guilty for a moment considering this is the only part that most outlying District Tributes enjoy about the Hunger Games. If there's anything to enjoy about being a Tribute.

"So," Glimmer begins, "we don't have much choice now. You might as well tell me what you can do."

I stare at her out the corner of my eyes, reluctant to give away my greatest asset in the arena.

We both told the Gamemakers that we were allies this year, still I know there must be a way to get out of this. How would it look? District Twelve and District One working together. Like we told Seneca Crane, it had never been done before.

I throw my bread roll down onto my tray, sighing and looking back to her. "We might just be able to get out of this."

She looks at me in alarm, her eyes wide and frantic. She glances just over her shoulders to the Careers who have continued their earlier conversations, no longer concerned with her.

I don't think they were upset so much with her leaving them, but rather joining me. Not that they really know we are allies now, all they can assume is that we're having lunch together.

Either way it doesn't look good for Glimmer.

For a moment I consider having her as an ally, it's strange to think of considering I never pictured myself having a companion in the arena. It's still not appealing, she's a Career and I have no doubt that she would betray me the second she could.

I can't blame her for this either, I think after only a few days in the arena I too would betray her.

She looks uncomfortable as she eats her food slowly, often pausing to look at me or her former allies.

"Look," she says, "I'm sorry I got us into this mess, but you didn't exactly help."

I glare at her, "what are you talking about? You're the one who went after me, if anything it should be you being punished. What I did was purely self defense."

This shuts her up.

A few moments later though, she tries again.

"I shoot with a bow, I'm usually really good but for some reason, ever since we got to the Capitol I haven't been able to shoot right."

Before I stop myself I tell her the reason, "you're not used to the bows here." My eyes widen alarm, realizing what I've just said.

"But I used all sorts of bows back home."

I sag in relief, realizing she didn't catch my mistake.

She begins to take small spoonfuls of her soup, wandering off into her own little world. I do the same for a moment, allowing myself to think of home. Mostly Prim and what she must be going through. I also think of Gale, it must be hard to take care of both of our families. I can only wish him luck from the other side of the country.

I'm fine with the silence, but suddenly Glimmer is covering her eyes and making a soft whining noise. "I can't believe I attacked you. That was so stupid of me! We are both so dead! A slum rat who can do nothing and a useless Career." She shakes her head back and forth, groaning and actually stomping her feet. I might laugh at such a display of childishness, but I'm reluctant to have any attention on us again.

Because we came into the cafeteria rather late, most people are finishing up now and heading back to training. The Careers leave just after the District Ten boy goes back inside, the District One boy casts Glimmer one long look before taking his place with the others.

Eventually the room begins to clear, including Peeta who leaves without saying anything to me.

By then Glimmer is done having her meltdown and is back to eating her food silently.

Only a few Tributes remain on the other side of the room and I deem it safe to say, "I can hunt."

I'm not sure what compelled me to say this, maybe the fact that the Careers wouldn't take her back now or that it still didn't give me away completely. Either way it made her perk up, she sat up straighter and looked me head-on.

"You can hunt?" Her eyes were wide and for the first time ever I saw a small spark of hope in them.

"Yes."

"Are you any good?"

Again I answer, "yes."

She mulled it over for a moment, using her forks play with her food.

"And I can kill people if I get my hands on a weapon, preferably a bow if I can find one like the one I had back home. You hunt, I kill... Maybe we have a shot."

The more she thinks about it she must finally realize what she was missing earlier, "what do you hunt with?"

I pause, we may be allies for now but we may still find a way out of it. There is no way I could ever trust her, maybe if we go into the arena together I'll have to. But tonight she will go back to her suite where her District partner will be waiting, and like Peeta will with me, he will question her. If she lets it slip, the Careers know what I'm capable of. After that it's as simple as snapping a bow, which they might still do now that Glimmer is no longer with them and they know it's her weapon of choice.

I shake my head slowly, looking back up at her and letting out a breath I wasn't aware I was holding.

"Look, I know this sucks and it's not like I actually want to be stuck with you just like I know you don't want to be with me, but we are and we'll just have to get over that." She looks expectantly at me, believing it is only fair that I now tell her the weapon that I use.

I need a way to put this off. Some insurance on my life.

"How about this," I tell her, "we announce our alliance during the interviews with Caesar. Afterwards I will tell you what I hunt with."

It's not the most solid plan of mine, she can still turn around and betray me, but this will disappoint Panem and she will no doubt lose sponsors. Not to mention the Careers would be reluctant to take her back.

"I guess that makes sense, in fact when we announce it to Caesar we can do it in a way that is so fabulous all the other interviews will look so dull in comparison. Actually now that I think about it, with me going first and you almost last the Capitol won't be able to forget about us."

She nods to herself, her confidence coming back as her posture is no longer hunched forward and her body no longer scrunched together. I see the wheels turning in her head and somehow know that the interviews this year will be especially entertaining for the Capitol. I can only hope that I live up to her plan.


	5. Glimmer: Worth

_Glimmer_

I go back to the first floor, to the penthouse where my mentors and all the Careers know what I have done. I feel nervous when my hand touches the doorknob and I consider hiding somewhere. Maybe my new ally would let me stay with her until the Games begin?

Oh if only!

I push the door open, terrified of what I might find on the other side.

I press my lips together and then pull them apart, realizing this would be a slap from my mother. It causes wrinkles.

I walk into the room slowly, still finding nobody who might attack me. Only the Avoxes wander around, I watch them curiously for a moment, realizing I could have become one of them today.

Still with no sign of human life, I go into the kitchen and pour myself a glass of water.

The sun has just gone down and the Capitol is coming to life as the streets suddenly fill up and become louder and louder with each passing minute. The sun reflecting on the shiny buildings was easily the most beautiful sight in the world.

Once I've finished my glass of water I go to sit in the living room and await my judges.

The TV is on but is only filled with images of partygoers and flashing colors.

I wince, changing the channel over and over but finding nothing that doesn't give me a headache. I give up, switching it off and staring at a blank screen.

It's not until six at night that our District Escort enters the room, he looks upset beneath the layers and layers of makeup that cover his face.

He spots me and I know that I am the cause of the stress.

I try to smile it off but he ignores this, calling over shoulder and alerting somebody to my presence in the room.

Marvel and Cashmere come into the room, followed by Ammolite who stares at me with complete disgust.

Slowly, as though they fear I'll make a run for it the second they make a quick movement, they enter the living room and sit down on the leather couches.

I can't bring myself to say anything, what could I say? I've disgrace my family and I've disgraced my District. I'm sure they will regret the day they chose me out of all the other girls to fight in the keep this year's Games.

"Do you realize what you have done?" Cashmere asks in a slow voice, barely making eye contact with me and somehow still managing to make me feel insignificant.

Before I can think about what I should say, or how much worse it could be, my mouth is open and I'm just letting everything out... again "It was an accident I swear! I- I just went to the bathroom, and there she was! I can hardly remember what happened but one minute we're yelling at each other and the next thing I know Seenca Crane is- is talking about Avoxes and punishment and… And I panicked."

I've done nothing to get rid of her disgust as she continues to stare at me.

I've known Cashmere almost my entire life. I remember watching her during her Games and wishing I was as brave and as beautiful as her. She may have won on a technicality but she did it looking great.

I let my eyes wander over to Marvel who refuses to make eye contact with me. He's technically my mentor and I know I've made this a difficult year for him.

What a crappy first Tribute I am for him, huh?

I bite my lip and drop my eyes to the floor and stare at the pretty carpet that doesn't have a single stain in it.

If Katniss doesn't kill me, if the Careers don't kill me, if the Games don't kill me, none of it will matter. I will never be accepted back home.

I'm sure the moment my mother saw me she would kill me herself. Maybe she would do it slowly, poisoning my food so that she could live in a Victor's house for at least a few months.

There's nothing I can do at this point, it's too late to change my mind or go back in time.

Eventually, Cashmere and Ammolite leave the room. They all but spit at my feet.

Our District Escort huffs before getting up and storming out right behind them.

It's just me and Marvel and even he has a difficult time looking at me. I doubt he will help me in the arena. Even if I managed to get Sponsors would he even send me anything?

If I'm lucky though, I won't need Sponsors. If Katniss wasn't lying about being able to hunt I might still have a shot at this.

Marvel glances up at me, sighs and shakes his head. "Digging your own grave here, Glimmer."

I fall against the couch, no longer concerned with being so well poised. "Dug my own grave then planned the funeral."

I don't know Marvel very well, I never really spoke to him back home. He's well thought of by the people of District One, my own mother included who watched his game and was constantly cheering him on.

The thing I remember most about him last year though, was not the Games themselves but rather the Recaps. He sat on that chair while they played the Games over again, only this time he was the main character of it.

He had a smile on his face but I remember for an instant that smile dropping and his eyes suddenly dulling. How is entire face, despite the makeup, lost its glow.

I remember wondering why he wasn't on top of the world in that moment, with everybody watching him and everybody screaming his name at the top of their lungs.

How could you not be happy then?

He stands up and leaves the room, leaving me to my own thoughts. There's no place left to run or hide. There never was in the Capitol, was there?

I had nobody left in the world. I meant nothing just as I was worth nothing.

My resolve settles as I get into the elevator and hit the '12' button. She may think there was a way out of this alliance but I would prove differently.

I would make her want to be my ally.


	6. Katniss: Stir

I guess it's understandable that Haymitch, Peeta, Effie, Cinna and Portia would all think I was insane. Peeta attempted to soften the blow but it didn't matter. Haymitch drank twice as much, stumbling around the room and pointing at me and slurring off words. Effie didn't know what to do, if she should be excited or worried. She looked like a mixture of both as she sat on the couch and looked nervously between Haymitch and I.

Only Cinna attempted to ask me what I felt about this, and when he did I blew up. "How do I feel about this? Like this girl is ruining any chance I have!" I storm off before any of them can stop me.

I make a mad dash for the elevator and quickly press the roof button. I don't really expect it to bring me there, it would be nice though. I'm waiting for red lights to go off, to tell me this is restricted to Tributes.

The only thing that surprises me is when the elevator lifts me up.

The doors open and I quickly step off, arms crossed and anger boiling inside of me.

The breezes is nice and it helps cool my skin but I'm still furious. It's not until I'm almost to the edge of the roof, where there must be a forcefield that will keep me from jumping, that I notice him.

He's leaning casually against the wall to my left where he has perfect access to the city but instead has to watch me throw my tantrum.

For a moment I'm embarrassed that he's seen me in such an angry state. But then I'm panicking when I realize who _he _is.

The lights bouncing off the city give me pretty good view of him, of Cato the violent Victor from two years ago.

He won when he was about my age, sixteen. That would make him eighteen now.

What I remember best about his year was that there was so much blood and gore, and Prim burying her face into the couch on nights we were required to watch.

Mom said he must've snapped, because no sane man could kill as much he had.

I stare at him with the shock of a deer with an arrow set to hit it head on. Every muscle my body tells me to move, to get out of here while I still have a chance and while he's still a decent distance away. If nobody else has taken the elevator since I got off, then surely I have a chance of hitting the button and beating him to safety.

I'm thinking of all this while noting the absolute stillness of his body.

His body may be still, but it's his face that terrifies me. A look that you might mistake for amusement crossing over his features as he looks me up and down.

"Hi." I manage to get out, willing my voice to be firm and steady. I'm ashamed when instead a squeak escapes me. I ball my fists up and straighten my posture.

A full on smile breaks over his face and I immediately shrink away. If only I had my bow then perhaps I could wipe that smug expression from him.

"The Girl on Fire? You've created quite a stir in the Capitol."

"… Thank you." I answer uncertainly, continuing to shrink into my shadow and waiting for him to lunge towards me.

"What makes you think that stirring things up was a good thing?"

For some reason Glitter- Glimmer pops into my mind. Seneca Crane peering down at the both of us and looking absolutely delighted when he heard that this year would be different.

"Same thing every year. Twenty-four go in and one comes out."

"And you're going to change that?"

"… No… I'm just going to… I don't know." I sigh out as my body begins to crumble inward. He's tearing me apart and defeating me without once getting up from his seat.

I jump when he does get up a few seconds later.

Despite the space between us he easily towers over me. His body shows no signs of mistreatment that you often see a few years after a Victor wins.

No black marks on his arms where the needle would go in, nor any sagging skin from excessive drinking or smoking.

Despite not being forced to watch him on the television for a year and a half now, he seems healthier and bigger than he did in the Hunger Games.

It's almost amazing how much power seems to be in his arms alone, which are rippled with muscle.

I would never admit it aloud but I am somewhat fascinated with his body. It's healthy and strong, a combination of things that you would never see in District 12. The bodies there may be healthy or they may be strong, but you never really see anything in between. Maybe Gale who walked through the woods every day with me, but he lost strength for every meal he'd missed and his lungs, like most lungs in District 12, inhaled large amounts of coal each year.

He begins to walk towards me. I command my legs to jump to the side where they ultimately fail me. Instead my kneecaps shake as he approaches me.

He's standing so close to me that if I were to swing go my arm I would be touching him. My eyes fall to the ground and I curse myself for being a naïve fool and coming up to the roof.

I gasp and almost let out a scream when his fingers grip my chin and push upward until I'm staring into his eyes.

"Coal Girl, if I gave you a glass of water in the desert, would you stir it? It's the only water you have for God knows how long, yet you would stir it simply because you could? Stirring things up is a losing game."

He doesn't seem particularly dangerous. Or maybe he's just a better actor than I could've ever imagined.

It's painfully clear to me that what we're saying is treason. The desert is the Capitol and the water the Hunger Games. He thinks we need the Hunger Games to survive?

"I would look for different source of water."

His lips curl but it is certainly not a smile.

His fingers drop from my chin when a ding comes from the elevator and the doors open.

"Bread Boy said I could find you up here which is great because I have so much to talk to you-"

I twist to look at the open doors of the elevator. Glimmer is stomping towards me but pauses when she realizes I have company.


End file.
